The Challenges

Challenge 1 - Musical Heartbeat ( Pulse & Rhythm )

A secure pulse, or musical heartbeat, is essential to help the music flow. Developing your musical heartbeat will help you perform fluently when playing alone, with another performer, or with a backing track. It will also allow you to enjoy performing with larger groups of musicians, where we need to work together as an ensemble.

Aims and goals

• Develop a solid, secure pulse 
• Find your own inner metronome  
• Learn about different ways of practising your instrument.

Level 1 task (Initial - Grade 3)

• Choose a piece or song which has a section with a straightforward rhythm.
• Find the metronome mark at the top of the music or look for a performance direction at the start and find out what this means.
• Make a note of your chosen speed (tempo) – this is your goal tempo, not your practice one!
• Slow the metronome down a little so you have plenty of time to think whilst you are practising. Now you are ready to begin.
• Clap the rhythm of the section you have chosen along with the metronome click.
• Drummers will need to do this without the backing track. You can do this for each rhythm in the section if your instrument has more than one part (especially piano or drums, where each hand often plays something different).
• Instrumentalists other than drummers should next try singing the melody of your piece with the click. All instrumentalists, including drummers, could also try to think of some words that fit the rhythm, to help remember it.
• Then play the rhythm on one note, or on one drum.
• If you are a singer, try singing the rhythm on one note, and then try saying the words of your song to the click.
• Now you are ready to try the section with the metronome, at your practice tempo. 
• Once you are really confident at this tempo, you can gradually, one step at a time, build up to your goal tempo. 

 Record: 

 When you have practised and feel really confident about this section or piece, record it. Then play it back and clap a steady beat with your recording – did you manage to keep the musical heartbeat steady whilst you were playing?

Level 2 task (Grade 4 - Grade 5)

• Choose a piece or song which includes long, held notes, and/or rests. When you have no accompaniment, and are practising, these are often the trickiest places to keep your inner pulse steady
• Find the metronome mark at the top of the music or look for a performance direction at the start and find out what this means. For instance, Allegro means lively – you will want to find a speed which will convey this to your audience
• Once you have decided on a tempo, make a note of this. Then slow the metronome down just a little to give yourself some extra space to think
• Start the metronome and clap the rhythm of the section you have chosen – it often helps to count the long notes or rests aloud whilst you are doing this. You could think of some words to fill in the gaps. Longer words with more syllables can be used for longer notes or rests (you can write these on the music if you like)
• Now try singing or playing the section of the piece with the click. When you come to a held note, or a rest, remember the word you have chosen to fill it
• When you are really confident, gradually bring the metronome speed up to your goal tempo and perform the piece with it, and then with the metronome off
• Well done! You’re now ready to try recording

Record:

Record the piece, then play it back and see if you can clap along and keep the pulse steady. If you do this several times, you’ll be able to hear your own progress and feel the music flow

Level 3 task (Grade 6 - Grade 8)

• Choose one of your pieces or songs which has some complex rhythms, changes time, or contains techniques which might tempt you to slow down when you’re playing. It might also contain held notes or rests that are difficult to sustain accurately
• Spend some time looking through the piece and identifying the parts that you find most challenging to perform without making mistakes or stopping. This may have complicated rhythm patterns, difficult sticking patterns if you are a drummer, or difficult intervals for a singer to pitch. Perhaps it has some runs or passagework, or mixed articulation
• Using a metronome, and the performance directions on the music, decide on a tempo for the piece that you would like to be able to achieve, without losing the musical heartbeat
• Once you have decided on a tempo, make a note of this. Then slow the metronome down by at least 10 beats per minute to give yourself a useful practise tempo. Singers may want to reduce the tempo by a smaller amount to help with breath management
• Try practising one complicated section in several different ways, using the metronome click as a tool to help you with the rhythm and pulse. You could:
• Clap the rhythm; play/sing the rhythm on one note; drummers could play with RLRL sticking patterns just while consolidating the rhythm, perhaps leaving out flams and drags; singers could say the words only, or sing with or without words on one pitch
• Gradually introduce more of the elements that go to make up the music but keeping the tempo at this slow speed – introduce the pitches/rudiments/text; pianists can gradually introduce both hands, for instance, and drummers the more complex sticking patterns. You might want to try doing this in stages – the bars with less complicated note patterns and intervals first, for instance
• When you can play the section evenly, with a measured pulse, and not slowing down to meet any challenges the music presents, gradually increase the metronome speed until you can perform this at your goal tempo. This may take some time – don’t expect to do it all at once!
• Finally, perform this without the metronome

Record:

Record the piece, or a section of the piece, and listen back, tapping the beat alongside your performance, to see if you managed to stay in time, even through the most challenging bars.

Level 4 task (Diplomas)

Who wants to make mistakes when they play? Nobody! However, how we practise is important. Fluency comes with confidence and an inner pulse. Thoughtful preparation can help guarantee accuracy and we need to practise rather than play. 

• We are going to practise your piece or section slowly. Have a look at your music from the rhythmic point of view, working out which slow speed you will need to use at first. 
• Using a metronome can be very helpful. Set it to the speed you have chosen and clap/tap the rhythm of a few bars at a time, repeating until it feels comfortable. Feel the length of the silences. For players such as pianists, drummers or harpists, individual rhythms can be isolated from the various layers at first and combined later. Speed up this work gradually. It is important not to go too fast, too soon. We need to remain accurate and fluent. 
• Now think about the mechanics of adding the notes, leaving out any ornamentation. What about fingering/tonguing/bowing? Every instrument has its own tricks for astute learning. 
• We are isolating the elements at this stage and doing everything we can to avoid making mistakes. Are you making errors? If so, examine why. Are you playing too fast? Are you tired, not concentrating, or perhaps expecting too much, too soon? 
• Gradually combine the rhythm and pitch, plus layers of texture if you do not play a single line instrument. At each stage, try to stick to that firm pulse and stay accurate. Work with and without a metronome. 
• It may take time to get to the stage of feeling confident about the notes and rhythms of your piece/song. That is fine. If you have practised intelligently, you will have made good progress. 
• Now final decisions can be made about phrasing, breaths, and tempo etc. 

Record:

Once you have everything ready as above, record yourself and listen to the pulse, rhythm and pitch. Are there places that seem less confident than others? If so, do some further practice.

Did you find this section helpful?

Working out different ways of practising to achieve a goal is an important part of learning. Hopefully, you have now used this practise method to create a performance with a steady pulse and musical heartbeat and have laid the foundations for further work.

Although music does not always remain strictly in time, this is a great starting point, as it is only once you can play accurately and fluently that it is possible to start using other musical techniques to make your performance your own.

Exam preparation:
Identify the three pieces/songs that you would like to use for a digital exam and spend some time exploring different speeds for each. Identify starting, progressing and final speeds for performance and look for sections which might need more focus to overcome challenges. Track your progress by making a tempo chart.

Challenge 2 - Musical colour ( Technical Facility )

Have you considered the effect of different keys and varied articulation in music? Or how we might use different types of techniques to show the mood? In this section we explore the keys of your pieces/songs (and how they might fit into your technical work). We will also look at ways to use techniques to enhance our performing.

Aims and goals

• Relate keys and techniques to the Technical Work for your grade
• Discover how articulation can be used to change the mood of the music
• Begin thinking about how to express character and mood.

Level 1 task (Initial - Grade 3)

• Instrumentalists – identify the key. Is your piece in a major or minor key? Once you find the key, play the scale and arpeggio that goes with that key. Often, sections of the piece are based around the scale, and it can be really helpful to understand these patterns.
• Singers – is your chosen song one where you have to sing whole sentences in one breath? Are there sometimes slurs with two notes for one word? Perhaps it uses one word for each note. Are there any big leaps? Are the same leaps used in your technical work? Sing the leaps in your technical work, and then the ones in the song – did working on one thing help the other?
• Drummers – look carefully at your chosen piece and try to identify the rudiments from your technical work. Practise the exercise which has the most similar rudiments to the piece you’ve chosen, and notice how playing these helps when you then play the piece.
• All performers – think about the character of the piece or the story you want to tell. What is the music telling you, and what do you want to say with it? Are there any markings on the music that will help you do this? These might be staccato, legato or accents.
• Play or sing a section of the piece without following these directions. Listen carefully – how does it sound? Now try with them – is it different? Does it show the mood and character more?

 Record: 

Perform your piece and record it two ways. Both times, remember the things that you have worked on in the technical work, but the first time perform with the extra markings from the score, and the second time without. Listen to both recordings – how different do they sound?

Level 2 task (Grade 4 - Grade 5)

Using your piece or song from Challenge 1, do the following:

• Instrumentalists – identify the key and play the scale and arpeggio that goes with that key. Often, sections of the piece are based around the scale, and it can be really helpful to understand these patterns. Does the key itself suggest a mood? Often sharp keys sound brighter, and minor keys can sound sad, or sometimes convey a playful mood.
• Singers – is your chosen song one where you have to sing long phrases? Does it include slurs, or is there one word for each note, and if so, does this make the diction a challenge? Are there any big leaps? Have a look at the technical work for the grade and see if anything in the song is similar. You could sing through parts of the technical work that are similar, and then parts of the song – did working on one thing help the other?
• Drummers – look carefully at your chosen song and identify the rudiments from your technical exercises. Practise the exercise which has the most similar rudiments to the song you’ve chosen, and notice how playing these helps when you then play the piece.
• All performers – think about the character of the piece. What is the music telling you, and what do you want to say with it? Are there any markings on the music that will help you to do this? These might be articulation – staccato, legato and/or mixed articulation, accents or sforzandi, for instance.
• Play or sing a section of the piece in several different ways, according to your instrument. Perhaps you could try it all very legato, or with an accent at the start of every bar. Try performing it with no attention to the articulation at all. Listen carefully – how does it sound? Now try with the markings on the score – is it different? Does it show the mood and character more?

Record:

Perform your piece and record it two ways. Both times, remember the things that you have worked on in the technical work, but the first time perform with the articulation and/or extra markings from the score, and the second time without. Listen to both recordings – how different do they sound?

Level 3 task (Grade 6 - Grade 8)

Using your piece or song from Challenge 1, do the following:

• Instrumentalists – identify the different keys throughout the piece, if there are clear key changes. If not, check the beginning and end of each section to see if the music has modulated. Play the scales and arpeggios of the different keys found within the piece. Often, passagework is based around the scale and arpeggio patterns, and it can be really helpful to understand these. Do the keys themselves suggest a mood, and does this alter during the piece? Often sharp keys sound brighter, and minor keys can convey a variety of different moods.
• Singers – is your chosen song one where there are long, sustained phrases? Is the diction challenging, or are there melismata to negotiate? Are there any big leaps? Look at the range of the song, and the keys within it, and do some warm-ups that use scales and arpeggios across the range, in those keys. Are there any intervals and leaps in the technical work which you can also find in the song? You could sing through parts of the technical work, and then parts of the song – did working on one thing help the other?
• Drummers – look carefully at your chosen song and identify the rudiments contained in it from your technical exercises. Think about the groove, and notice if there are any areas that need fills or improvisation, and how you might incorporate techniques in these. Practise the exercise which has the most similar rudiments to the song you’ve chosen, and notice how playing these helps when you then play the piece.
• All performers – think about the character of the piece. What is the music telling you, and what do you want to say with it? Are there any markings on the music that will help you to do this? These might be articulation – staccato, legato and/or mixed articulation, accents or sforzandi, for instance. We will look further into dynamics in Challenge 3.
• Play or sing a section of the piece in several different ways, according to your instrument. Perhaps you could try it all very legato, or with an accent at the start of every bar. Try performing it with no attention to the articulation at all, or changing the articulation for different sections. Listen carefully – how does it sound? Can you use the techniques you’ve practised to make the music your own and show the character you want to convey? Now, try with the markings on the score – is it different? Does it show the mood and character more?

Record:

Perform your piece and record it two ways. Both times, remember the things that you have worked on in the technical work, but the first time, perform with the articulation and/or extra markings from the score, and the second time without. Listen to both recordings – how different do they sound?

Level 4 task (Diplomas)

In this challenge you will apply your technique to the music you have been working on. We will explore practice methods to overcome difficulties and help build your technique for the future. Our knowledge of keys, key changes and harmonic progressions can help us here (this doesn’t only apply to pianists!).

Music from the 20th century, and more contemporary works, can include various jazz styles, folk-influenced music, modal pieces, complex changes of metre or key, challenging dissonances, or advanced instrumental techniques.

• Look through your piece or section and work out the main key and other keys it passes through. Practise scales and arpeggios in these keys, having fun by using varied rhythms/dynamics/articulation. Singers can use various syllables.
• Singers, along with all instrumentalists who have to create the pitch of what they play, need to practise intervals and phrases that are challenging in intonation. Isolate these and listen carefully as you practise. It may be helpful to take these out of the rhythmic context and treat them as exercises. There may be a study that can help with particular intervals – ask your teacher.
• Look at the articulation markings on the score. What do you need to do physically to interpret these? Working phrase by phrase, practise carefully, slightly exaggerating everything you do. Don’t worry if it seems rather mechanical – all will become natural soon.
• You can now add in any ornamentation, making sure that it is in the appropriate style and that it fits naturally into the phrasing. Be able to play or sing from just before a trill, mordent, or ruff for example, to what comes immediately after. Then stop and repeat several times. It should end up as an enjoyable embellishment, not an obstacle.

Now that you are on top of the articulation, accents and words, try some of these practice methods to build on your technical success and maintain the fluency of your performance:

• Practise challenging bars 8 times. Always continue to the next beat however, as otherwise you will not have practised the vital link.
• Don’t always practise from the beginning. Choose a section and practise the last bar, last 2 bars, etc.
• Pianists need to add pedalling. Can you change the pedal cleanly in continuously pedalled passages? Are you in control of your foot? Make it simpler by pedalling without playing, to check.
• Are you using a recorded accompaniment? If so, then practise with it. Try only alternate phrases, or only simpler phrases and then more challenging ones. This gives more time to prepare, building up to a whole run through.
• Are you working with a piano accompanist? You can use the above methods too.
• Still play or sing through slowly, so that muscle memory or “automatic pilot” kind of performing does not take over.

Record:

Record yourself without much articulative detail and without ornamentation, then with all practised details and compare. Be pleased with your progress!

In this challenge you will have begun to relate technical aspects of your playing to the musical outcome of your pieces and songs. Key, articulation and performance directions all affect our feelings about a piece and how we show the character to the audience; technical control helps us to make the best of our instrument or voice.

Experimenting with different techniques and articulation has helped you to understand how to begin making musical choices to enhance your performance. This will all help with the overall communication and the creation of a rounded performance which showcases your best work. Well done!

Challenge 3 - Using dynamics and performance directions for communication ( Communication & Interpretation )

The sound you are making when you perform can completely change the character of a piece of music. This can include choices of articulation that we’ve looked at previously, but having decided on these, the next things to think about might be the dynamic detail and performance directions written on the music.

 

In this challenge, we will continue to build on all that you have learnt so far but add another layer which takes your thinking about communication a step further. We’ll be developing your tone control and encouraging you to find your own musical voice.

 

Whether you are a beginner trying to expand the range of dynamics you can make, or a more experienced performer able to use more complicated performance directions, listening for these changes can be an effective way of altering the mood. It will also help you on your journey to improve technical control of your instrument or voice.

Aims and goals

• Development of listening skills
• Development of tone control
• Control of dynamic detail.

Level 1 task (Initial - Grade 3)

• Play or sing a long note – drummers might try this on a single stroke roll, and pianists and keyboard players could play a repeated note. Listen to the sound. Is it clear and even? If you are repeating a note, is the sound the same on each?
• Think about how loudly and strongly you might want to play to show a particular mood, and look at the markings on the music – for instance, is the piece mostly forte or mostly piano? Play or sing your long note again very loudly. What does that feel like to you? Does it suit the mood of the music?
• Now play or sing your long note very quietly, thinking about the same questions as before.
• Let’s think about how you might alter the dynamics as you play or sing now. Start your long or repeated sound quietly, make it louder, then softer again.
• Now try the other way around, going from loud to soft and back to loud.
• Finally, try a sudden change – start softly, then change suddenly to a loud sound and back again to a soft one.
• Look at the piece or song you used for Challenge 2 and see if there are any dynamics you can add to the performance. Think again about the mood you want to show the listener as the dynamics change.
• Polish your performance by adding dynamics along with your articulation to the playing or singing.

 Record: 

Now record the piece, and when listening back, think about whether this shows you, as a listener, the mood of the piece. Can you hear the dynamics clearly?

Level 2 task (Grade 4 - Grade 5)

• Play or sing a long note – drummers might try this on a single stroke roll, and pianists and keyboard players could play a repeated note in each hand. Listen to the sound. Is it clear and even? If you are repeating a note, is the sound the same on each?
• Think about how loudly and strongly you might want to play to show a particular mood, and look at the markings on the music – for instance, is the piece mostly forte or mostly piano? Are there lots of dynamic changes, and are these gradual, or sudden? Play or sing your long note again very loudly. What does that feel like to you? Does it suit the mood of the music?
• Now play or sing your long note very quietly and carefully, making sure that it stays at the same volume the whole time. Think again about these same questions.
• Look carefully through the music – are there ‘in-between’ dynamics to consider? Does the music use mf/mp or crescendo/decrescendo markings, and are there any other markings, such as pauses or tempo markings (rallentando/accelerando)?
• Let’s start by thinking about altering the dynamics as you play or sing. Start your long or repeated sound quietly, make it louder, then softer again.
• Now try the other way around, going from loud to soft and back to loud.
• Try a sudden change – start softly, then change suddenly to a loud sound and back again to a soft one.
• Now see if you can add the dynamic levels in between piano and forte. Play or sing for four steady beats making the dynamic changes pp/p/mp/mf/f/ff and then ff/f/mf/mp/p/pp. Try making these changes gradual, then sudden.
• Look at the piece or song you used for Challenge 2 and notice all the dynamics. Think again about the mood you want to show the listener, and whether using these will help you to do that.
• Add the main forte/ff/piano/pp dynamics first, then when you are used to doing these, go back and check for ‘in-between’ dynamics.
• Finally, polish your performance by looking through your piece or song carefully to see if there are any other performance directions you should use, and gradually adding these into your practice.

Record:

Now record the piece and listen back. Are the changes in dynamic clear? Does the addition of the performance directions show you, as a listener, the mood of the piece? You could record a second time, with some different dynamics, to see if you feel that this expresses the mood of the piece even better.

Level 3 task (Grade 6 - Grade 8)

• Play or sing a long note – drummers might try this on a single stroke roll, and pianists and keyboard players could play a repeated chord in both hands. Listen to the sound. Is it clear and even? If you are repeating a note or chord, is the sound the same on each?
• Think about the piece itself and look at the score. What indications are there on it which tell you about the mood? If you are a singer, what does the text tell you? What sort of dynamics might you want to use to show a particular mood or colour?
• Play or sing your long note/roll/chord again at a strong, forte dynamic and then at a piano dynamic. What does that feel like to you? If you play an instrument where you use vibrato, changing the speed of the vibrato can make a big difference to the sound, as long as it remains even and relaxed. Drummers may want to use different parts of the drum head, and pianists can alter the weight and speed of attack to create different sounds and dynamics. Breath pressure can change the tonal colour in a song, too. Experiment with these a little and see what sort of sounds you can make.
• Look carefully through the music – are there ‘in-between’ dynamics to consider? Does the music use mf/mp crescendo/decrescendo markings, and are there any other markings, such as pauses or tempo markings (rallentando/accelerando)?
• Let’s first think about incorporating dynamics into how you might play or sing. Start your long or repeated sound quietly, make it louder, then softer again. What do you need to do to achieve this?
• Now try the other way around, going from loud to soft and back to loud.
• Finally, try a sudden change – start softly, then change suddenly to a loud sound and back again to a soft one. This is the sort of thing you will need to do if you see the direction subito on the music.
• Now see if you can add the dynamic levels in between piano and forte. Play or sing for four steady beats at each level – pp/p/mp/mf/f/ff and then ff/f/mf/mp/p/pp. Try making these changes gradual, then sudden. You will need to be able to control these changes in order to follow directions such as crescendo and decrescendo.
• Look at the piece or song you used for Challenge 2 and see if there are any other performance directions in the score which you can use. Think again about the mood you want to show the listener and how these might contribute to that. If there are no dynamics, do you think the performance would be enhanced by adding some?
• Polish your performance by gradually adding in dynamics and other performance details, before moving on to recording.

Record:

Now record the piece and listen back. Are the changes in dynamic clear? Does the addition of the performance directions show you, as a listener, the mood of the piece? You could record a second time, with some different dynamics, and more, or fewer directions added, to see if you feel that this expresses the mood of the piece even better.

Level 4 task (Diplomas)

In this challenge you will apply your technique to the music you have been working on. We will explore practice methods to overcome difficulties and help build your technique for the future. Our knowledge of keys, key changes and harmonic progressions can help us here (this doesn’t only apply to pianists!).

During this challenge we will be looking at further details of the score and making decisions about the shaping and direction of phrases, along with considering the tone needed for mood and characterisation.

Dynamic markings, changes of tempo and any other hints that the composer has given us need to be taken into consideration. We will also start to stamp the performance with our personal reactions to the music; by now we will have opinions about it.

• Look at the dynamic marking on the score and work out the breadth of volume needed. Does it have a large range, or is it more subtle? Repeat something – a note or a chord for instance – at the lowest required dynamic. Then go to the other extreme. Then try changing the dynamic, both as a series of steps and also gradually from one to the other, listening carefully.
• Phrase by phrase, try out the dynamic markings. Repeat and experiment. Do they change the character in any way or make you want to mould the timing at all? Keep experimenting until you feel comfortable with your choices.
• Consider the tone required. Do any markings imply a particular type of tone or timbre? Scherzando, con amore, pesante, mesto, grave all have different implications for the tone required. Can you create even tone throughout the registers? Each instrument has its own ways of creating and altering tone, so talk with your teacher about this.
• Are there any tempo changes in the score? If so, are they sudden or gradual and what effect will they have? If it is a surprising change, then there may be a change of dynamic, touch, and mood at exactly the same time. If it is a gradual change, we need to shape sensitively and seamlessly. Once again, experimenting is the best way of finding out what works for you and for the music. Musical shaping or rubato, the unwritten give and take during phrases, is perhaps more stylish and desirable in pieces and songs from the Romantic period, but that does not mean to say that other styles do not allow for subtle musical flexibility.
• If you are playing with a backing track, you will need to mould your playing to it. If you are working with an accompanist you will need to practise with them, always indicating what you want to do, in a communicative way.
• If you have practised well, you should be able to start from anywhere. Otherwise, there may always be a degree of uncertainty lurking in the background. This applies to performing from memory too.

Record:

Make a recording with modest dynamic and tonal variation, then one where you exaggerate all the contrasts. Listen carefully and decide what works and does not work for you and for the music. You may be surprised, pleased or shocked! Listening to yourself whilst not actually playing makes further decisions/adjustments easier.

Thinking about the dynamics and expression in a piece of music is a real skill. It becomes easier the better you know your pieces and songs, and the more you practise.

If you have managed to make a different sound and change your performance to make it more interesting for the listener, this is a big step, and you can continue to build your skills from here.

Challenge 4 - Presentation ( Performance Delivery & Focus/Musical Awareness )

You have done a lot of work so far on learning your pieces and songs and making them the best they can be. Now we are going to look at presenting these and delivering the performance to your audience.

It is important to remember that, when performing, almost everyone makes mistakes. How we cope with these mistakes, and how we present our material, can make a big difference to the audience.

This isn’t about presenting yourself to the camera, but about enjoying your music making, remaining focused throughout your performance, and if you are playing or singing more than one item, moving from one to the next with any mood changes you need to make clearly in place.

Level 1 task (Initial - Grade 3)

• Choose your favourite piece or song and think about what you need to have ready in order to perform it and record it.
• Do you have a backing track? Or a duet partner? Do you need the music, and is it ready? Perhaps labelling the page will help you quickly find where it is in the book. Make sure all these things are ready before you start.
• Now think about the piece of music you are going to perform. What is it about – does it tell a story? Your focus should be on the music itself.
• Give yourself a few seconds to imagine you are part of the musical story, and then play your piece through. If you make a mistake, just carry on until you reach the end, and then continue thinking about the music for just a little longer.
• If you have two pieces you would like to perform, practise performing both one after another. You could record each one separately first if you like, and then try both in a row. You will need to have all the music and backing tracks ready. In the space between items, allow the first to finish and a few seconds to pass, then begin to think about the next piece, and what this is about. Once you are ready, play the second one. If you have to find a different page in your book, be sure you know just where to go so that you can move smoothly from one item to the next.

Record: 

Set the camera up somewhere secure, perhaps on a music stand. There should be a good view of where you are going to be playing. Try a little bit of one of your pieces or songs and play it back to make sure you can be seen and heard.

Then record for real, remembering to go smoothly from one piece to the next, allowing each mood to settle and restart if you are performing more than one item.

Watch the video back – were you focused throughout? Did you recover from any mistakes and complete the item? What might you do differently if you recorded it again?

Level 2 task (Grade 4 - Grade 5)

• Choose one or two of your pieces or songs and consider what you might need to have ready in order to perform and record.
• Do you have a backing track? Or a duet partner? Do you need the music, and is it ready? Perhaps labelling the page will help you quickly find where it is in the book. Make sure all these things are ready before you start.
• Now think about the piece of music you are going to perform, and about the way you have decided to communicate it to your audience. What is it about? What sort of mood do you need to create, and how have you decided to do this? Your focus should be on the music itself, rather than the audience, whilst you are performing.
• Give yourself a few seconds to imagine you are part of the musical story, and then play your piece through. If you make a mistake, just carry on until you reach the end, and then continue thinking about the music for just a little longer.
• If you have two pieces you would like to perform, practise performing both one after another. You might wish to record each separately first, then watch back and look for areas of improvement, before recording them in the same take. You will need to have all the music and/or backing tracks ready. In the space between items, allow the first to finish and a few seconds to pass, then begin to think about the next piece, and what you need to focus on. Once you are ready, play the second one. If you have to find a different page in your book, be sure you know just where to go so that you can move smoothly from one item to the next.

Record:

Set the camera up somewhere secure, perhaps on a music stand. There should be a good view of where you are going to be playing. Try out a section of one of your pieces or songs and then play it back to make sure you can be seen and heard clearly.

When you are happy with how this looks and sounds, record for real, remembering to go smoothly from one piece to the next. Allow each mood to settle and the next to restart if you are performing more than one item.

Watch the video back – were you focused throughout? Did you recover from any mistakes and complete the item? Were all the things you have practised in place, and what might you want to do differently if you recorded it again?

Level 3 task (Grade 6 - Grade 8)

• Choose two or three of your pieces or songs and consider what you might need to have ready in order to perform and record them.
• Do you have a backing track? Or a duet partner? Do you need the music, and is it ready? Perhaps labelling the page will help you quickly find where it is in the book. Make sure all these things are ready before you start.
• Think briefly through the challenges and the style and mood of the first piece of music you are going to perform, as well as about the way you have decided to communicate it to your audience. What is it about? What sort of mood do you need to create, and how have you decided to do this? Is there a particular place within the music where the dynamics or articulation need to alter to portray the piece more clearly? Your focus should be on the music itself, rather than the audience, whilst you are performing. If you are absorbed, so will your audience be.
• Take a few seconds to immerse yourself in the music, and then play your piece through. If you make a mistake, just carry on until you reach the end, and then continue thinking about the music for just a little longer.
• When these few seconds have elapsed, begin to think briefly through the next item – is the character very different? Are there things you need to remember to alter to show this?
• However many pieces you have chosen to perform, practise performing them one after another. You will need to have all the music and/or backing tracks ready. In the space between items, allow the first to finish and a few seconds to pass, then begin to think about the next piece, and what you need to focus on. Once you are ready, play the second one. If you have to find a different page in your book, be sure you know just where to go to so that you can move smoothly from one item to the next.

Record:

Set the camera up somewhere secure, perhaps on a music stand, so that it remains steady. There should be a good view of where you are going to be playing. Try out a section of one of your pieces or songs and then play it back to make sure you can be seen and heard clearly.

When you are happy with the recording quality, record for real, remembering to transition smoothly from one piece to the next, without losing focus, and maintaining or altering the moods between items, as required. Allow each mood to settle and the next to restart if you are performing more than one item.

Watch the video back – were you focused throughout? Did you recover from any mistakes and complete the item? Were all the materials ready, and were the decisions you made around articulation, dynamics and other performance details clear and effective? What might you want to do differently if you recorded it again?

Level 4 task (Diplomas)

So far, we have been working hard at achieving a fluent, accurate, technically skilled and musically shaped performance, which represents all the details of the score. We have tried to be perfect! However, we are human and that is what we want to hear in performances, surely?

Any small errors should not distress us and playing through these is part of being able to play fluently Therefore, when recording, it is important not to stop and start over and over if you are not satisfied.

Leading up to your final recording, there are both musical and practical aspects that you can make sure of:

• Which period is your music from? Have you investigated the background? Are you highlighting style and character? Have you reacted to the composer’s markings? Are there further clues in the title? Sitting on the sofa with your score and just thinking through it can be helpful.
• Practise playing/singing your whole piece/song, or the section you have chosen, two or three times over at one sitting, to build up your stamina and concentration.
• Make some practice videos. It might be a surprise! Is there anything you would change? If you were accompanied, what did you do during passages when you were not playing? Were you still focussed and involved?
• Once ready to make your final recording, take time to prepare. Make sure everything is to hand. Recorded accompaniment or backing track? You need to have checked the sound levels for balance.
• The camera needs to be positioned so that there is a good view of you. Sound levels and the view need to be tested. Once you have checked this, you are ready.
• Always take some time before beginning and after the final sound, to frame your performance. Music begins from and leads into silence.

This challenge brings together all the elements which can help to make a performance successful and enjoyable for both performer and audience. Hopefully, making and reviewing your video has given you the confidence to perform more and more, and perhaps to work towards entering for a digital exam.

Next week, it’ll be time to record and upload your final performance to our website, ready to share with the bootcamp community! We can’t wait to see what you produce…